Thursday, January 14, 2016

Circa Diem, by Carole Johnstone

(SF Fantasy) When Earth's day changed to 96 hours, some adapted (with drugs) and some did not (with lights). Now they hate/fear each other. But two young people are curious.  (~3,200 words)

Rating: 4, Recommended

"Circa Diem," by appeared in the January-February 2016 issue of Interzone Magazine (Issue 262), published by

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: What unites the two young people is that they are both dissatisfied and both want a change. Each finds a hint of what they want in the other, but as the summer wanes, so does their romance, and we expect it to end with each of them reconciled to their home. The twist is delightful: neither will go home; they'll go together and find a new place.

There were plenty of clues that there were more places. Nan went away to one of them, the boy thinks. And he knows about "still built-up cities and their strange, governed hierarchies." We know they have somewhere to go.

The impossible premise is okay because it's part of the what-if, and that's why I labeled this "SF Fantasy."

Con: The characters don't quite become real enough. We're happy for them, but we're not deeply moved.

2 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. I also quite liked this one when it appeared, but least because the previous stories in the issue had been really disappointing, but that Romeo and Juliet reference midway through was far too knowing for me. It worked well though, with the two viewpoints to tell the story.

    1. It does illustrate how a story with a very silly premise can still end up being pretty good.